Hi, just a reminder that you're receiving this email because you have expressed an interest in Steve Rao. Don't forget to add sr@steverao.com to your address book so we'll be sure to land in your inbox!
You may unsubscribe if you no longer wish to receive our emails.
|
|
|
|
Stimulus Relief Update Edition
|
From the Council Office of Steve Rao
December 21, 2020
|
|
Congress reached Deal on $908 billion Relief Bill. (See Stimulus Relief Section) |
|
VP Pence, Pelosi and McConnell get Covid 19 Vaccinations on Friday. |
|
NC Reports 20th day of 2,000 Covid 19 Hospitalizations |
|
Biden and First Lady to receive Vaccinations today on TV.
|
|
|
MORRISVILLE YOUTH COUNCIL INTERFAITH FOOD SHUTTLE |
You have until Tuesday, 12/22, to help these fabulous young adults of the Morrisville Youth Leadership Council collect non-perishable food for the Interfaith Food Shuttle.
Drop off your Donations to the Cedar Fork Community Center.
Thanks to our Morrisville Youth Council for their compassion and care for our community.
#MSVProud!
|
|
Morrisville Council Supports Removing Class Size for K-3 Public Schools |
As we address overcrowded schools in Morrisville, I am proud of this Council for our efforts to support removing class size for K-3 Public Schools as part of our Legislative Agenda, which I will be sharing with each of you in January.
We look forward to working with Rep. Gale Adcock and School Board Member, Chris Heagarty to advance this effort and ask that as many citizens let your General Assembly members know how much we support high quality, public education in North Carolina.
|
|
Congress reaches deal on Stimulus Package. (See Stimulus Relief Section)
|
|
More doses of the Moderna vaccine are expected to arrive in North Carolina this week. Health officials believe 175,000 doses of the vaccine will arrive in North Carolina this week with 61,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Durham County Dept of Public Health and Atrium Health Receive First Moderna doses. |
|
UNC Chapel Hill and Duke suspend fraternities after large scale drug bust. https://abc11.com/unc-drug-bust-fraternity-suspension-frat-phi-gamma-delta/8877689/ |
|
Trump Down Plays Cyber Attack/Pompeo Links Attacks to Russia. Romney raises serious concerns.
|
|
|
Governor Cooper watches Vaccinations at Duke University Hospital. |
|
|
Dec 22 4:30 pm STATE OF WAKE COUNTY FIRESIDE CHAT with WAKE COUNTY COMMISSIONER CHAIR MATT CALABRIA |
Please join me at 4:30 pm tomorrow for my end of year Interview with Wake County Chair Matt Calabria as we discuss an unforgettable year in Wake County, the Vaccine Rollout, and Plans for the Future.
Streamed Live at https://www.facebook.com/steve.s.rao and also on Radio Mirchi Raleigh Durham! 99.9 FM HD4, 101.9 FM and 1490 AM!
|
|
CONGRESS REACHES DEAL ON STIMULUS RELIEF BILL |
The House passed a one-day government funding bill earlier Sunday night to avoid a government shutdown at midnight, and the Senate then passed the continuing resolution. President Donald Trump signed it shortly before midnight, buying Congress 24 hours before the next deadline.
The House will vote on Monday on the final Covid relief package along with the $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill for a new fiscal year, according to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who relayed that message to Democrats on a caucus call, sources said.
Details of Deal are:
- Direct payment checks of up to $600 per adult and child.
- Aid for struggling small businesses, including more than $284 billion for forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans and $15 billion "in dedicated funding for live venues, independent movie theaters, and cultural institutions"
- $300 per week for enhanced unemployment insurance benefits
- $25 billion for rental assistance and an eviction moratorium extension.
- $82 billion for education providers like schools and colleges, including aid to help reopen classrooms safely
- Child care assistance: $10 billion
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and child nutrition benefits: $13 billion
- Broadband access to help Americans connect remotely during the pandemic: $7 billion
- Funding totaling in the billions of dollars to support coronavirus vaccine distribution, testing and contract tracing efforts and health care workers
- A tax credit "to support employers offering paid sick leave.
A number of procedural steps still need to take place to clear the way for a vote in both chambers, with the potential to further slow the process.
Once the text is unveiled, the House Rules Committee will have to consider the package in a meeting that could take several hours. Then, they will have to schedule a House floor debate and set up votes in the chamber.
The Senate is more complicated because it requires consent of all 100 members to schedule a vote, and it's uncertain if that will happen if any member is unhappy with the bill or the process. If they can't get an agreement for a quick vote, McConnell will be forced to take procedural steps to set up a vote, a process that could take several days.
|
|
SMART CITY STEERING COMMITTEE APPLICATION PROCESS IS OPEN! |
Recruitment for the Morrisville Smart City Steering Committee began on December 14, 2020 and run through January 4, 2021. Specialized recruitment and engagement will be completed during this period to seat 11 members (at least seven technical and four non-technical).
Council is scheduled to be briefed on the item at the January 12 meeting and will receive appointment packets for selection on January 13. Council will be asked to take action appointing any selected applicants at their January 26 meeting.
Term appointments for selected members are recommended to begin February 1, 2021 with appointments being staggered over two- and three-year appointment terms.
|
|
FDA Approves Emergency Use of Moderna Vaccine. |
|
The Moderna vaccine is set to begin distribution as soon as the FDA gives the green light.
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told CNBC on Thursday that 5.9 million doses have been allotted for states and large cities and were ready to ship nationwide.
The rollout of the vaccines, however, will take months in a nation where the virus is running rampant and public health measures such as social distancing and mask wearing are being rejected by large parts of the population.
US officials have said they expect to have 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines by the end of the year – enough to inoculate 20 million citizens.
Both vaccines were about 95 percent effective at preventing illness in pivotal clinical trials with no serious safety issues.
Several states said they were told to expect far fewer doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine during its second week of distribution, prompting worries about potential delays in shots for healthcare workers and long-term care residents.
Senior Trump administration officials downplayed the risk of delays on Thursday, citing confusion about semantics, while Pfizer said its production levels have not changed.
Moderna’s vaccine does not require specialized refrigeration for transportation or storage, unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which must be kept at -70 Celsius (-94 Fahrenheit) and could make storage in rural, lower-income areas more difficult.
|
|
How does the vaccine work? |
The Pfizer and Moderna Vaccines are a new type called an mRNA vaccine that uses a tiny fragment of genetic code from the pandemic virus to teach the body how to fight Covid-19 and build immunity.
The vaccine contains a small piece of the [Covid-19] virus's mRNA that instructs cells in the body to make the virus's distinctive 'spike' protein.
When a person receives this vaccine, their body produces copies of the spike protein, which does not cause disease, but triggers the immune system to learn to react defensively, producing an immune response against [Covid-19].
The vaccine is given as two injections, 21 days apart, with the second dose being a booster. Immunity begins to kick in after the first dose but reaches its full effect seven days after the second dose.
|
|
Modified Stay at Home Order/Curfew |
Executive order 181 states all individuals must stay at home or the place they will remain for the night” from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.until Jan 5th.
Certain businesses must close between those curfew hours – this includes bars, entertainment venues, parks, museums and aquariums.
Exceptions include those going to and from work, while businesses selling groceries, medication, health care supplies and fuel may remain open.
Restaurants, breweries, distilleries and wineries can operate with only take-out and delivery services after 10 p.m.
|
|
NC and the Covid19 Vaccine |
I will be revealing Moderna rollout plans in next week’s newsletter.
Secretary Cohen has revealed that 53 North Carolina hospitals--decided based on number of beds, number of health care workers in direct contact with COVID-19 patients, and county population--will receive the first shipment of 89,800 vaccines. That includes 11 hospitals identified as having enough ultra cold storage to keep the Pfizer vaccine for a number of weeks, should the authorization process be delayed.
It will first be given to health care workers in hospitals and long-term care facilities who treat or work with COVID patients and those who clean areas where COVID patients are present. The state estimates that population at up to 161,000 people.
As additional vaccines are approved, the state will get additional allocations and will expand distribution to others.
The second group targeted by the state will be residents of long-term care, people over the age of 65 who live in crowded situations such as jails and homeless shelters, and other adults who have two or more chronic conditions that put them at greater risk for a severe case of the coronavirus. That group is estimated to number up to 951,000.
Vaccinating the rest of those at high risk for exposure to COVID-19 will encompass another 1 to 1.5 million people – everyone over 65, those under 65 in crowded situations or who work in frontline jobs and don't have two or more chronic conditions.
The third phase makes vaccine available to anyone in an essential position, according to the state "workers in industries critical to societal functioning," and students in K-12 schools and colleges and universities.
The final phase would include the remainder of the North Carolina population.
|
|
NC Hospitals to Receive Covid19 Vaccine |
NC Hospitals to receive Vaccine
- Bladen Healthcare LLC (Bladen County Hospital)
- Caldwell Memorial Hospital
- CarolinaEast Medical Center
- Catawba Valley Medical Center
- Cumberland County Hospital System Inc (Cape Fear Valley Health System)
- Duke University Health System
- Henderson County Hospital Corporation (Margaret R. Pardee Memorial Hospital)
- Hoke Healthcare LLC (Hoke Hospital)
- The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority (CMC Enterprise)
- University of North Carolina Shared Services Agreement
- Wake Forest Baptist Health
|
|
Join me Sunday 4 PM on Radio Mirchi for another update on local issues.
99.9FM HD4, 101.9 FM and 1490 AM!
|
|
|
Join me Monday at 10 am on International Broadcast Media TV for a global for World Edition, an update on global politics.
|
|
|
- For latest Covid 19 information, please dial 2-1-1 or 888- 892-1162.
- Get Updates by texting COVIDNC at 898211.
- For unemployment insurance, please visit NC Dept of Employment Security at https://des.nc.gov/.
- 1,380,370 NC citizens have applied for UI Benefits, 935,514 have been paid benefits, and $9 billion of benefits have been issued.
-
Apply for Wake Forward program at https://covid19.wakegov.com/wakeforward/.
North Carolina health officials are reporting 6,900 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to-date total to 479,168.
More than 65,500 new tests have been completed throughout the state.
With 94 percent of hospitals reporting, there are 2,748 COVID-19 hospitalizations. That is down by 98 but still remains among the highest numbers seen during the pandemic. This is the tenth consecutive day of more than 2,500 COVID-19 hospitalizations in North Carolina.
There have been 40 more deaths from the virus, bringing the total to 6,224.
The percent positive rate of tests is currently 11 %, down slightly from Saturday's 11.3%.
CASES:
4,479 New Cases
+ N.C. = 483,647 Cases (Deaths = 6,240)
+ 11 % Positive Rate
+ Wake County = 38,860 Cases (Deaths = 337)
+ US = 17.9 + million Cases/318K deaths
+ Worldwide = 76.9 million/1.7 million deaths
+ Completed Tests: 6,419,622
+ 2,817 Hospitalized
|
|
Morrisville News - Please Participate |
|
TOWN OF MORRISVILLE NAMED FINALIST IN THE GLOBAL SMART CITY CHALLENGE |
It is my pleasure to announce that Morrisville has been selected as a finalist for the 2020 Global Smart Cities Readiness Challenge. Morrisville was named as 1 of 10 finalists and will potentially have the opportunity to lead a Readiness Cohort in 2021. We are working with the Communications Department to get this information out to the community so that they can vote for our submission. You can find more information at the link below.
To vote on our submission, you can click on the ‘begin rating process’ button and use the stars under our video on the following page (BIG thanks to Communications for helping put together our finalist video). The rating will submit once you exit the page. Voting is allowed once per day and closes on January 5. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Please consider supporting Morrisville Smart City efforts by giving our plans 5 stars every day until Jan 5th.
|
|
|
|
Council Member Rao holds office hours on Friday from 12:00-1:00 PM by appointment only at 100 Town Hall Drive in Morrisville.
|
|
Council Member Steve Rao
Town of Morrisville
Dedicated to transforming Morrisville into an ideal place to work and raise a family!
|
|
See what's happening on our social sites: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
